MIT launches robotic autonomous boats in Amsterdam for five passengers
The Massachusetts Institute of Technology's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory (CSAIL) is ready to deploy an autonomous passenger boat that it has been developing for the last six years. Roboat has already gone through several iterations: in 2020 the lab tested a version that can carry two passengers. In 2021 the creators are launching its full-scale version, which can carry up to five passengers, collect waste and deliver goods.
Over the past few years it has become clear how difficult fully autonomous cars are. So far none of the companies developing self-driving cars has managed it, unless they are among those that keep making absurd promises of full autonomy. It turned out the real world is a complicated place for such technology.
Despite the relatively well-constrained nature of roads, robots are still too unpredictable to work comfortably without fairly narrow restrictions. Autonomous vehicles have had the most success in environments with high predictability and structure, which is why everyone likes the idea of autonomous city boats designed for cities with canals.
MIT has been working on such boats for many years and has already presented them on Amsterdam's canals as cargo shuttles and taxis. The design of MIT's robots dates back to 2015, when it began with a series of small experiments involving autonomous docking of many robots the size of a shoebox to build self-assembling water structures, such as bridges and concert stages.
Eventually Roboats were scaled up, and by 2020 MIT had a boat large enough to keep a person afloat. But the goal was always to make a Roboat version the size of what we picture when we think of a boat, something people can comfortably sit in. This 4x2 m version of Roboat was ready for release, behind schedule, back in 2020.
The robot, named Lucy, runs on a battery and is fully autonomous. It moves along Amsterdam's canals using LiDAR for localization on an existing map, along with cameras and ultrasonic sensors to detect and avoid obstacles. Compared with roads, canals have relatively low speeds, so the likelihood of any collision is much lower.
Roboat has a futuristic look with a black and gray design and two seats facing each other. It is fully electric, with 10 hours of autonomous operation without recharging and support for wireless charging. MIT CSAIL director Daniela Rus said the robot is more accurate and has more reliable perception, navigation and control systems than its predecessors. New features include a close-approach mode that simplifies docking at a port or connecting to another boat, and an updated dynamic positioning system that helps it navigate real waters better.
Other problems are also shrinking, for example the need to worry about variability in lane markings. Presumably there are many unique challenges, including the fact that other traffic may not follow the same strict rules expected of cars, but overall this seems like a fairly good environment for operating a large autonomous system.
The autonomous driving technology of the vehicle is similar to that used in self-driving cars and uses GPS to choose a safe route from point A to point B. The robotic boat can operate on its own around the clock, but a ground operator will control it remotely from a control center. One operator can oversee up to 50 robots.
A public demonstration in Amsterdam has already begun. Two robotic boats are expected to be in the water by the end of 2021. The second boat will be a cargo vessel, used to test waste removal. It will also make it possible to test docking procedures between two Roboat platforms, which will ultimately lead to useful floating structures.
“Amsterdam's historic center is an ideal place to start, with its capillary network of canals suffering from modern problems such as mobility and logistics”
MIT says the robot can provide the city with a variety of functions, the main ones being:
- Passenger transport. Robot boats can carry passengers around the city as an on-demand mobility solution or along a fixed route as a ferry, adding experiences for locals and tourists. Autonomy makes the system more flexible and safer compared with a conventional boat.
- Waste collection. The robot can serve as a floating garbage bin that independently removes household waste in cities. Research shows such a system could serve 70% of Amsterdam's historic district, significantly reducing the need for the heavy garbage trucks currently used for collection, and also reducing congestion, pollution and noise.
- Goods delivery. The robot can be deployed as a small network for delivering goods across the city. Combined with a comprehensive hub strategy, large trucks could transfer cargo at the outer edge of the city and become a fleet. The robot could enter and leave the city early in the morning or late at night, reducing the need for trucks across the city.
- Infrastructure on demand. Groups of robots can join together to create temporary bridges, easing congestion on Amsterdam's centuries-old bridges and the lanes running along the canals. As an autonomous system, Roboat can respond in real time to human behavior as well as to rush-hour traffic tides.
